Fleetwood strat

[Pepe]

I confess that I am not actually sure what that emoji is meant to convey

It looks damn cool!

[laurie]

It looks damn cool!

[laurie]

Finally got the pickguard on. What a pain in the arse!

• None of the holes lined up properly. Had to dowel the old holes and redrill.

• The dimensions weren't quite right. Had to spend a few hours with rotary tool, file and sandpaper to make it fit.

• The holes for the switch were for a standard strat switch. The one in the guitar was not standard. Had to swap in a standard 5 way strat switch.

• The single-coil-sized humbucker in the bridge position was slightly larger than the standard cut-out. Another hour with a file and sandpaper to ease the hole.

• Half the screw holes in the pickguard didn't have countersinking for the standard screws. Had to countersink a bunch of holes.

• AND... the hole in the new pickguard nearest the middle pickup tone control lined up with the cavity, not the wood. Had to chisel out a flat spot in the cavity and glue in a wood block so there was wood for the screw to screw into.

• Replaced the dodgy original jack - it was falling apart.

Blah! But done now and it looks great, and the noise from the original flimsy pickguard is gone.

My $50 thrift store find is now a perfectly credible guitar. Nice feel, great sustain, quacks just like a real strat.

This is before-and-after.
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Fleetwood_redone.jpg (259.29 KiB) Viewed 18779 times

[Pepe]

Great work! Yeah, those pickguards can indeed be a pain in the arse as you say it. I had to replace the pickguard of my MIJ Fender Stratocaster when I bought it in 2001. Some of the screw holes weren't at the same position.

[vectra]

Hi laurie, and everyone!

I also bought a Fleetwood Stratocaster, partly because of reading this blog, and I don't regret it!
Since then, I haven't seen a single one of these guitars here in Hungary, and there is almost no information about it.
I also got it by accident.

Since I liked the guitar, I replaced everything on it and also upgraded the frets.

The guitar underwent the following modifications:
- Replacement of the tuner set with a locking 1:18 set
- Replacement of the pickups with a Fat '50s AlNiCo 5 set
- Copper foil shielding on the inside
- Replacement of all cables on the inside
- Replacement of the jack connector, and metal around it
- Replacement of the 5-position switch
- new potentiometers and orange drop capacitor
- new mint-colored 3-ply pickguard, vintage 8 hole, the holes fit perfectly!
- new cream-colored plastics (knobs, etc.)
- new bone nut, professionally adjusted and tailored to fit (9,5" radius)
- new Wilkinson bridge (tremolo)
- Neck refeif, string height, octave accuracy, pickup height adjustment according to Fender standards
- Fret leveling and polishing (fret rocker, etc)

Currently a very good guitar in every respect. I don't know how much better a real Fender would be, as I don't own a Fender guitar.
I have a Sire Larry Carlton S7 Vintage Startocaster, which is also a great guitar, but somehow I prefer to use the Fleetwood.

I think the body is made of alder, based on its sound and resonance.

What do you think the body is made of?

From what I've researched, this guitar most likely comes from Korea, but there's basically no information available.

After doing some research, I found that this guitar most likely comes from Korea, but there is essentially no information about it online or anywhere else.
Is there any more information about these guitars anywhere?

God bless you all!

Viktor

[Pepe]

Welcome to the forum! What a great first post!

[vectra]

Hi Pepe,

Thanks!

[laurie]

What a great story! Welcome!

Glad my experience was useful to you

The Fleetwood has been one of my two go-to guitars for 3+ years now.

[laurie]

I don't know how much better a real Fender would be, as I don't own a Fender guitar.

I own several, and have owned probably a dozen over the years. The Fleetwood is as good as most and better than some.

[vectra]

What a great story! Welcome!

Glad my experience was useful to you

The Fleetwood has been one of my two go-to guitars for 3+ years now.

Thanks again for sharing your story! I wouldn't buy the Fleetwood Strat, If I didn't read your blog!